It's Sunday, but Monday morning won't be quite like it was last week for anyone in Aotearoa. Here's some highlights of the lighter side of lockdown for your end of weekend cheer.
A portrait pie of Dr. Ashley Bloomfield. Photo: Supplied / Devoney Scarfe
Now that's a lockdown pie! RNZ reader Devoney sent in this work of art featuring Dr. Ashley Bloomfield in edible form.
"It's condensed milk panna cotta with passion fruit pastry," she writes. She shares her bakery art on Instagram at @devoneybakes.
But it was Minister for Covid-19 Chris Hipkins who lit up social media with an accidental misstatement during the 1pm press conference, when he admitted it's hard for kiwis to "get outside and spread their legs when they're surrounded by other people." (Helpful hint - stretch those legs, don't spread them, unless you're doing the splits.)
NZ’s Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins wants to make sure that we can all have the opportunity to spread our legs. Thank you Minister! #SpreadYourLegsNZ pic.twitter.com/Mb9W1TlDsX
— Cleo (@cleotibbitts) August 22, 2021
Within minutes, there was a bit of a comic uproar:
Oh my god Chris Hipkins just said it’s hard to spread your legs in high density areas instead of stretch your legs... I heard that right didn’t I?
— Alice through the looking glass (@LexRegina72) August 22, 2021
Anyone else head Chris Hipkins say “spread your legs” instead of “stretch your legs”?! We’re already losing the plot here and have ended up in fits of giggles
— Faith Welch (@FaithUOA) August 22, 2021
Chris Hipkins freudian slip at today's presser will be ever immortalized in NZ's Covid19 memories.
— Beckie (@FitKiwi) August 22, 2021
"nz twitter can have little a sex joke, as a treat"
— folksy outdoors loving himbo (@finlay_txt) August 22, 2021
- chris hipkins
It didn't take long for the memes to start, with Dr. Bloomfield's eyebrow-raising reaction drawing a lot of the attention:
poor one out for @chrishipkins this evening pic.twitter.com/fvZYMeJ5Oz
— Aimee (@aimee_nz) August 22, 2021
Now in gif form pic.twitter.com/6z53Kalcmb
— David Cormack (@David_Cormack) August 22, 2021
Twitter will crop this horribly, so please click on the image, and remember NZ #SpreadYourLegs #SpreadYourLegsNotTheVirus #Covid19NZ #Poster pic.twitter.com/CaYjT94iNp
— geekery (@GeekeryNZ) August 22, 2021
And the hashtag:
#SpreadYourLegs & Ashley’s reaction to it was exactly the comic relief Aotearoa needed today. Seriously, I was on the verge of a wee anxious cry when that happened.
— Ciará (@CearaArmstrong) August 22, 2021
Ka pai.
Highly Catholic mother n law just walked past (lives down the road) I yelled out to her if she was out ‘spreading her legs’… awkward silence & look of disgust… she missed that part of the 1pm presser. Oops. #SpreadYourLegs
— Frank (@GregAFC) August 22, 2021
It was probably the kind of cathartic meme that Sunday afternoon needed, to be honest.
We'll leave it to the Prime Minister's fiancee to provide the last word on that:
Is it Kãkã mating season? They seem to be going full Chris Hipkins in the backyard at the moment. I've never seen so many, totally NOT socially distancing.
— Clarke Gayford (@NZClarke) August 22, 2021
Meanwhile, there were other memes doing the rounds today:
The 1pm daily presser workout ️♀️ ♀️ ♂️ ♂️ pic.twitter.com/S2cJoLFmju
— Anaria - 100% Phizered (@AndreaLyall) August 22, 2021
It may have been Sunday, but even (socially distanced) birds need a hand in lockdown.
We are all of us the masked woman feeding the birds today in #nzlockdown pic.twitter.com/EPWegHiQPd
— Nik Dirga (@nikdirga) August 22, 2021
And over on Instagram, Anika Moa put on a live concert for babies and children, which was just what locked-down parents needed:
PSA for parents, Anika Moa is playing some songs for bubbas on insta pic.twitter.com/qjL7KAWwng
— i gotta believe (@nimbiwit) August 21, 2021
Petition to canonize Anika Moa. Specifically, the patron saint of single parents in lockdown with small children. She played a 45 min live concert for us all this morning despite having a cold and being in solo-parent lockdown herself. Legendary.
— Marianne Elliott (@zenpeacekeeper) August 21, 2021
The MVP Aunty of lockdown Anika Moa is doing an Instagram live rn, get it e te whānau
— Emma Espiner (@emmawehipeihana) August 21, 2021
